In the Lost and Found
by chromate
Summary: From how they met to the war that separated and reunited them. A take on Harry and Luna's feelings towards each other throughout the three years in Hogwarts that they knew each other. Roughly based on OOTP, HBP and DH.
1. Chapter 1:  Their First Touch

Greetings fellows. This is my first attempt at writing fanfic outside of the anime genre, and also an attempt to cure my writer's block for other stories, but if this is well-received I'll consider writing more HP fanfics. In fact, I already have some plots in mind.

Luna has always been my favourite HP character and given the relatively few number of HP fics about her I decided to write something about Harry/Luna, which I find far cuter than Harry/Ginny (not that I have anything against this pairing).

The title of the story, _In the Lost and Found (Honky Bach)_, is a song from Elliott Smith's brilliant album, _Figure 8_. I've been going through different titles and when I listen to this song again (while writing my Italian essay), I just know this will be the perfect title.

This story will be divided into 3 chapters: each will be on Harry and Luna's feelings and recollection of events during their years spent together, hence Harry's fifth year and Luna's fourth year will be on the first chapter, his sixth and her fifth will be on second chapter, and his last and her sixth year will be on the last chapter, and maybe a possible sequel, depending on how people perceive this fic. I'll also alter things to fit in more Harry/Luna scenes into this story, hence there will be some make-up scenes that does not take place in the book or the movie.

Now, please enjoy the story.

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><p>Disclaimer: I don't own J.'s <em>Harry Potter<em> series nor do I own Elliott Smith's _In the Lost and Found (Honky Bach). _They're both creative people that I respect a lot.

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><p><em><span>Chapter 1: Their First Touch<span>_

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><p>He remembered the first time they met, she was being introduced in a rather awkward way. 'Loony Lovegood' was how she was usually referred to, even by his best friends. Having been through bullying most of his life, he was not so keen on calling her a name that sounded offensive.<p>

But she didn't seem to mind: in fact, it was an easily accessible name, as it didn't take another Merlin to understand why she was called that way.

Luna Lovegood was without a doubt one of the weirdest people one could ever encounter in life. Apart from her pursuit of mystical creatures that none had ever seen, she constantly spoke in her dreamy voice as if she was in her own world constructed for herself only, which resulted in her seemingly clueless countenance on that pretty face of hers. It was hard, and impolite, for others to intrude. Her beliefs about non-existent creatures further established her reputation as She-Who-Must-Be-Made-Fun-Of. Nobody wanted to be around her. Nobody wanted to be associated with her. Simply put, nobody cared about her. It wouldn't have mattered to them if one day, she was declared missing or deceased.

But he knew it was different. He could clearly remember when he saw the same creatures that she eyed, and Ron and Hermione just thought he was out of his earthly mind. For once, his best friends were of no help to him. And when the blonde, a year younger than he was, explained that only those who had seen death could see, he suddenly felt he had finally found someone who he really could relate to, no matter how outrageous that sounded like. Not even Ron and Hermione could understand this feeling.

He always wanted to be able to connect to someone, and that day, he had found her.

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><p>She remembered the first time she came across the name of Harry James Potter, she was informed about what other children of her generation were told: that he was The-Boy-Who-Lived, the only one that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named failed to kill, the boy who had an electric volt scar on his forehead. Like other girls, she idolized him at a young age, fantasizing about this brave, young boy who shone like an armoured knight to protect all wizards and witches from dark magic. When she knew that she would be studying in the same school with him, she was thrilled with joy and pride. But years passed on and they had never formally engaged in one conversation, and her passion gradually died down as she knew it was just a pointless crush, just that it was commonly shared by every other girl of her age. With the exception of Slytherin girls, at least.<p>

Then, on her fourth year at Hogwarts, they met.

It wasn't any extraordinary experience, frankly. Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom, who were pulled into her compartment in the Hogwarts Express by Ginny Weasley in September, seemed taken aback, in an awkward manner, at her knowledgeable fondness of Nargles and Wrackspurt and looked horrified when she said Harry was just as sane as she was. Her defence of The Quibbler, her father's newspaper and in Hermione's opinions the dumbest publication, also made her seem too stubborn and irrational. She was furious at the ignorance of these people who could not see the truth, as beautifully pictured by her father. She fought back when others challenged her beliefs with rude manners.

Yet all her anger and discontent faded as she set her eyes on him, who gave her a sympathetic look that said all. When their eyes crossed, without words, she knew. He had been there.

At that moment, she knew that he understood what it meant to have everybody against you.

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><p>He remembered the time when Dumbledore's Army was set up. Teaching enthusiastic students about defence against dark arts was something that he unexpectedly enjoyed.<p>

It was also during that time that he started to pay more attention to her. He watched closely each time as she flicked her wand, the way her dirty blonde hair moved along with her seemingly fragile body, and the smile she made when she managed to put his teaching into a piece of fine art. He couldn't take his eyes off her, much to his joy/dismay. He was still struggling through his relationship with Cho Chang, another Ravenclaw, and he wasn't sure what his feeling for this younger smart girl was. Leaving unnecessary thought to the back of his head, he tried his best to maintain a good friendship with her first.

They started to talk more, and it was a good thing they usually talked alone. He got to know about her deceased mother, her father's support for him and her exciting adventure everyday that consisted of stolen shoes, notebooks and falling off the stairs at a constant rate. He was outraged. When the Dark Lord was just out there, ready to strike at any moment, he could hardly believe that Hogwarts' own students, the non-Slytherin ones, in particular, were so carefree as to bully a young girl who had done nothing wrong. While she reassured him that she was fine, that it was the nargles' fault, he was not convinced, and urged her that no one messed with his friends. She widened her eyes, as if not believing someone would make such a strong vow for her.

And he made that quite clear on the day when Pansy Parkinson, the Slytherin prefect, waved her wand at Luna, causing all her to lose balance and fall down the stairs on her way to class. Without thinking consciously, and ignoring Hermione's attempt at stopping him, he took out his wand and glued the Slytherin girl on the ceiling. In midst of Ron and other Gryffindor's cheers, he could only hear her coming close to him with a shy smile, and muttered a sincere 'thank you' into his ears.

That day was probably the day he enjoyed detention the most. Even Snape was surprised at how the boy he despised so much was able to smile through the whole detention session without the usual frowns and complaints.

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><p>She remembered joining the Dumbledore's Army, led by none other than the renowned Harry Potter.<p>

She forgot how exactly she got into it, truth to be told. She had never been too familiar with the golden trio – Potter, Weasley and Granger, so it was probably Ginny, a Gryffindor of her year, who got her in. She was thankful though, for she fully believed in the revival of the Dark Lord and, for the first time in her life, she felt surrounded by friends.

'Friend' was a strange concept to her. She would say she had a lot of schoolmates but a scarce number of people that she could consider friends, and the D.A. was where she felt she belonged to the most. Every meeting was an exciting adventure for her, as people there shared the same belief and helped each other out. Soon, she was seen always with Ginny and Neville, another Gryffindor who seemed to be afraid of her at first. But Luna didn't mind. She had been content, but she hadn't been truly happy in a long time since her mother's death. Having friends was such a wonderful thing, she thought.

She had heard ugly rumours, about how ridiculous it was for five Gryffindors (Ginny, Neville and the golden trio) to hang out with one particular Ravenclaw who was a social outcast in everyone's perception. She also continued to fall victims to various pranks, as the Slytherin girls especially seemed to have a particular fondness for her. Yet it was different now. Luna usually just let this things slip, but when Harry avenged her by sending Pansy Parkinson to the ceiling, her heart thumped furiously, and the number of hands she was offered and the words of encouragement she received touched her deeply. Her eyes moistened seeing Harry Potter defending her, the weirdo and outcast in the school, and calling her 'his dear friend'. When she saw the concerned looks on Hermione, Neville and the Weasley siblings' faces, Luna Lovegood had the impulsiveness to hug each and every single one of them with all her strength.

She used to be content with being alone. Now she felt exceptionally blessed to have friends she could turn to.

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><p>He remembered it was before Christmas holiday that they had their last D.A. meeting before everyone went back home. Dobby, the ever loyal elf of his, helped him and Ron and Hermione decorate the Room of Requirement for a small celebration party. He had some questions about wizards celebrating a Muggle event, but decided it was not important when everyone could just relax and enjoy while the days had not turned dark yet.<p>

And everyone did have a good time there. That day no spells were taught. They all decided to have fun instead of being tense before the holiday came, so naturally they just entertained themselves with the Weasley twins' pranks on each D.A. member and had a good laugh. Before he knew it, the party was over and everyone had left. Ron went with his brothers to set up a few traps for Filch and Umbridge, and Hermione went to discuss a few matters with the professors. He was left alone, observing the scene where a minute ago was full of people he trusted.

'_Harry? You are still here?'_

_And the daring voice of Luna Lovegood entered his ears. It startled him as he didn't expect to see anyone here, especially the blonde. He moved closer to where she stood. 'Luna? Why are you still here? I thought you left with everyone else?'_

'_It is rude not to answer one's question first, Harry,' she stated firmly, although from the time they had spent together Harry was well-aware this was only her way of speech, and he made a small laugh. 'I'm just thinking…about everyone and how a successful term we had.'_

'_I have to agree. It's wonderful each time I come here.' From the dim light of the room, he thought her eyes sparkled as she continued. 'I thought I left my book here,' she pointed at a copy of her Potion textbook on a chair nearby, 'so I decided to come retrieve it, only to find you staring aimlessly at me before I called you.'_

_And the boy with messy hair blushed a bit at that. 'I'm sorry. I guess I just spaced out a bit.'_

'_It's okay. Just be careful that __Wrackspurts will mess with your head if you don't pay enough attention.' He wasn't sure how to respond to that, so he said nothing until he noticed Luna's pale eyelids focused on something above their heads._

_"Mistletoe," said Luna dreamily, pointing at a large clump of white berries placed almost over Harry's head. Having Muggle knowledge of what that meant, he reacted by jumping out from under it, which he regretted immediately. He wasn't sure if it was a reaction to Fred and George's previous pranks about 'Harry and Loony getting cozy' a few good minutes ago, and while he felt laughed embarrassedly with her about that, now he wasn't so certain another laugh could solve this awkwardness. "Good thinking," said Luna seriously. "It's often infested with nargles."_

He recalled Luna leaving shortly afterwards, and he felt his heart ached seeing the silhouette of her retreating figure.

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><p>She remembered her late mother telling her once that in Muggle tradition, if two people stood under the mistletoe they were to kiss. It wasn't long later that she read from The Quibbler about how nargles liked to target mistletoes.<p>

On that day when she pointed out to Harry that they were under the mistletoe, she actually forgot all about nargles, for once in her life, and was a little anxious as to how the boy would act. Jumping away was one of the reactions she had foreseen, and that hurt.

Of course, she wasn't some lovesick teenage girl who would get mad over this. Instead, she was kind of happy that he didn't take advantage of the situation, in some sense. She knew her place well when there were girls like Ginny and Cho out there, seeking his attention dearly. In fact, she was surprised when Fred and George, with that wily smile of theirs, used their latest invention to glue them shoulder to shoulder during the D.A. Christmas Party. She found it fun and enjoyable, and she had a good laugh with Harry, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to cross that line yet. She truly enjoyed how people were happy in her presence, and these little jokes only made her feel more…wanted, in a sense, and she wished not to break from this comfort zone that soon.

Luna was never known to be a competitive person anyway. She would have loved for Harry to proceed under such circumstances, but she could wait. And this gave her some time to sort out her real feelings too.

Contrary to what others would be thinking, Luna treasured her friendship a lot more than others, and she was not keen on breaking any of them.

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><p>He remembered how the first rumour about them being an item began to spread in the middle of his fifth year at Hogwarts, shortly after Christmas. Apparently, after the Pansy Parkinson incident and that little intimate prank, people started to notice how Luna Lovegood always seemed to be around the Harry Potter. Generalizing, they conveniently associated them together, even though they did not seem to have any urge to openly oppose to such statements.<p>

'_There were rumours about you two, you know, you and Luna,' Hermione, being the considerate friend of him, kindly reminded The Boy Who Lived. _

'_There's always a rumour about any girl I talk to, Hermione. I'm sick of defending myself from crap.' That's what he said, and in fact he really had no desire to dismiss yet another Potter love affair rumour, after all these years. Nothing could really surprise him, to be honest. _

'_If you say so, Harry,' she pretended to retreat, but he knew her well enough to understand she still had questions for him. 'I just hope you understand what the consequence of not defending yourself from such rumours will be.'_

'_Com'on Herimione, as if people will really believe that Harry is dating Loony –'_

'_Luna. Her name is Luna, Ron.' _

And he knew Hermione did not miss that impatient tone in his voice.

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><p>She remembered there was a time in her fourth year that suddenly every Ravenclaw student looked at her in awe.<p>

In the past, people usually gave her curious glances or arrogant looks as they walked past her, or crashed into her, but then somehow, for no real reasons, they began to watch her from a distance, no longer really teasing her verbally. The pranks that she suffered from were from Slytherins solely, as somehow her Ravenclaw housemates seemed to realize stealing her notebooks and socks wasn't that interesting anymore. It was then she figured it was because they thought she was dating Harry Potter.

Luna did not comprehend how, supposedly that she and Harry were really dating, would lead them to stop playing tricks on her, and she could not think of any logical explanation as to why Harry would date her in the first place. And she didn't let these rumours affect her, keeping her joyful attitude in bouncing down the corridors and eyeing interesting things with her dreamy pupils. Rumours were bound to be proven untrue, she thought, and there was no reason for her to act different.

When some Ravenclaw girls, timid as they talked, gathered the courage to ask her, she simply answered, 'Harry is someone I enjoy spending time with. Who wouldn't like that?' And seeing their confused faces, she would smirk (to their horror) and then continue whatever she was doing. She had heard far too many rumours about her to be bothered by this particular one.

Although while saying that, she could sense her lips twist, and her smile eventually faded.

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><p>He remembered how miserable he felt during the fight in the Ministry of Magic and the aftermath, when he had to deal with Sirius' death. Emotionally, he was totally broken, without a clue on how to recover from losing someone he considered family. The very word seemed not to exist with him in the same universe. Ron and Hermione did offer comfort, but they just couldn't understand. They wouldn't understand.<p>

To his surprise, she did. Luna Lovegood, of all people, warmed him with her understanding eyes and soft words. She didn't say much, actually, but each of her word was of great comfort to him. Then he remembered that they were the same in the sense of having seen death previously. Luna told him once that it took time for her to get over her mother's tragic death, and as she reached for his hand and squeezed it gently, he figured he didn't really need any more consolation from others, as all he needed was someone who could truly understand his feelings to be by his side and kept his or her mouth shut.

After a moment of peaceful silence between the two of them, he hugged her, acting on impulse. He didn't really know why, but pulling her into his arms, taking in her scent, seemed to be the most logical thing to do in such an illogical time.

He found himself a dear friend, a loyal friend that he could lean on for once, and in front of her, he was nobody but just Harry.

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><p>She remembered how resisting Umbridge and breaking into the Ministry of Magic had been such a thrill. Fighting Death Eaters was, to her simply, the exam to pass after taking lessons from the D.A.. She wasn't really afraid of dying, when she was having the time of her life alongside people, or <em>friends<em>, as she dearly preferred. She really couldn't have asked for more, in that dreamy imaginative mind of hers.

But then, dealing with the aftermath was the reality that she and everyone else had to face. And to her, nothing was more devastating than seeing the broken look on Harry Potter's face. He seemed so lifeless, so impure compared with the usual image he occupied in her mind. Then of course, this was perfectly understandable given what had happened, and Luna knew exactly how he felt. However, that did not mean she would just let him be.

Yet when she was standing next to him, wearing a grave expression that pained her heart, she was at a loss of words. What exactly should one say in such situation, anyway? When her mother passed away, her father shut himself away from everyone for long and no one really comforted her. She just somehow managed to move on. Perhaps that was the solution. Time would heal. Time could heal.

So she didn't say much, apart from letting him know that she would always be there to offer him help. And she truly meant that. Luna Lovegood never made any empty promises.

As they parted she was actually furious to know he had to return to his inhumane 'family' that he had told her about, but she did not let her emotion appear on her face. Harry hugged each of his friend before leaving, and when it was her turn, they embraced each other tightly, ignoring other's facial comments. She did not want to let go, and would love for that to keep going, but a new sensation instilled her when they parted. Harry muttered, no longer in his weeping voice but with a confident tone, a mere 'thank you, Luna' to her.

And she knew that was enough.

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><p><em>End of Chapter 1<em>

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><p>I hope it turns out alright for all. I'm inexperienced in HP fics and am not too sure if each scene would be too brief without much character building. But well, this is the idea of the fic, and I will probably keep this style for the remaining chapters.<p>

I had planned on adding some Weasley twins moments into this, as they are just adorable, but that would make this fic too long and I couldn't exactly capture their sense of humour here, so I'll pass. Maybe next time.

Please kindly review and let me know what you think! Until next time.


	2. Chapter 2A: You've got a friend in me

Greetings fellows. I originally intended for this story to be a 3-chapter series, but turns out I'm only halfway through HBP (up to Slughorn's Christmas Party) and it's already 4000-smthing words already. Given my personal preference for each chapter not to be obsessively long unless necessary, I've decided to split the plot from HBP into half, hence this is chapter 2.1 and the next will be chapter 2.2. I know it's weird, but I guess every writer has their own obsession with formats.

In case of confusion, things don't necessarily follow canon in this fic, so new events will be added, and some events will be altered to fit into this fic.

I also encourage you to read my work in ½ page size (you can change that on top right corner). It feels like reading a book and I find that style of reading more enjoyable.

And here I humbly present the first half of the second chapter.

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><p><em><span>Chapter 2.1: You've got a friend in me<span>_

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><p>He remembered that weird feeling in his stomach when he met her again in his sixth year, in the Hogwarts Express, when he was informed how she and Neville were snubbed by some other students, along with Luna's comment that he ought to hang out with 'cooler' people.<p>

Thank Merlin for his fated life to be constantly under the spotlight.

Obviously he was mad. Mad that two of his close friends were denounced basically for their right to be friends with him. Mad that people somehow had to go as far as choosing friends for him, for better or worse. Mad that after Sirius' death he had to start his new school year with some stupid kids whose intelligence quotient were probably comparable to his cousin Dudley's.

Now, Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom certainly weren't ordinary people; one was infamous for being, well, weird, and the other always seemed to be living under the shadow of himself, especially when Harry knew of the prophecy now. He knew both of them well. Probably not that well, as he was not very good at opening himself up, but at the very least they're one of the handful of people he could entrust his life to. So to have other people telling him to hang out with better, cooler people just got on his nerve.

'_People expect you to have cooler friends than us.' Luna simply stated in her poetic fashion, and Neville was inclined to nod in agreement before Harry almost yelled at them._

'_You are cool. None of them were at the ministry. They didn't fight with me!'_

_They both looked shocked at his display of care. As the blonde looked amused and replied in a soft tone, 'that's a very nice thing to say', he had to control all his urges not to give them, and especially her, a big hug._

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><p>She remembered that day when Romilda Vane, a fellow Gryffindor, barged into the compartment she was sharing with Neville and Harry, and declared 'why don't you join us in our compartment? You don't have to sit with them'. And being an observant person, she certainly didn't miss the depriving glance she sent them and the accusing, dehumanizing tone she used.<p>

The Ravenclaw saw Neville shiver slightly, and she looked at Romilda with her round grey eyes, taking into every single detail of how her facial muscles moved. She wasn't an evil person, Luna thought. She just wasn't kind, either. The blonde had seen many bad people throughout her years in Hogwarts, and she would qualify Romilda as the kind that could only gossip and never accomplish much.

That said, it didn't mean she was not hurt by that statement. Her face did not show it, but she knew why Neville shivered. It was an act of mixing anger, shame, pain and dignity into one, reflecting on what they thought about their relationship with The Boy Who Lived. Romilda made it sound like they were like the girl herself, who got close to Potter boy because of his fame. She soundlessly squeezed Neville's hand, knowing the shy boy needed some confidence and support when enduring other people's tantrum. As if acting on reflex, she turned to the person in question to see how he would act, mentally prepared for the worst, though highly unlikely, outcome.

And then he practically sent her away, to the amusement of the two. Not that they believed Harry would just leave them and join Romilda's group of gossip girls, but they were caught off guard by the dark tone the dark-haired boy used. Luna seldom saw him that angry when dealing with non-Death Eaters. Or Umbridge. And the reassuring speech he gave them would make them silently vow to fight along his side, just like they did before summer.

She was truly glad that she had not entrusted her love in the wrong person.

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><p>He remembered the disappointment in her voice when he told her that he did not plan on holding any D.A. meetings that year, as he was preoccupied with being the captain of Gryffindor's Quidditch Team and following Draco Malfoy around. He knew that dealing with Voldemort and his Death Eaters was important matter too, but with Umbridge gone there wasn't really a point in re-establishing the D.A., for as much as he hated Snape, he couldn't really say he was a terrible Defence Against Dark Arts teacher. At least not as poor as his predecessor.<p>

Her comment failed to escape from his mind for weeks, though. It was haunting his thoughts when he should be worrying about other matters.

'_I enjoyed the meetings, too. It was like having friends.'_

How much time had he spent on thinking over and over again about this short statement? It never slipped from his mind as he discussed Voldemort with Dumbledore, or when he overheard yet another argument of Ron and Hermione, or when he wandered around the castle, trying to get some peace of mind. But it was impossible. And he didn't understand why.

The tone she portrayed it, it wasn't sad or blue. It was almost like a sense of indifference that frightened him. And he did not like to hear that kind of sentiment from her. So he decided to 'cheer up' his friend a bit.

'_Hey Luna,' he spoke a bit nervously as they ran into each other one day, when she was heading to her Potion class, 'We're thinking of going to The Three Broomsticks this weekend. Would you like to come along?' Her silvery grey eyes locked on his emerald ones, as he was uncertain as to what her face was making of him. _

'_That place is lovely. I like the butterbeer they serve there. It has a good calming effect whenever I think about Gulping Plimpies in the lake and the students who swim there without being aware of their existence. They didn't know what kind of danger they put themselves into despite my frequent warning.'_

_Figuring it would be best not to ask her for any further elaboration, he proceeded to demand an answer politely, only to have her asked in retrospect of his words. 'Are you sure your friends won't mind me joining them?' She, having taken the notice of the word 'we' he had used, seemed to still be bothered by what Romilda Vane (and many others, in fact) had said before of his preference of friends, in his opinion. Devastated, he grabbed her shoulders and reassured her that everything was fine._

'_It's just me, Ron, Hermione, Neville and Ginny,' he gulped as her face brightened up slightly at the mentioned names, 'they all are your friends, Luna. There's nothing to be worried about.'_

'_Thanks a lot for the invitation, Harry. It was very nice of you,' the blonde looked at him for a minute before saying that, smiling, and he was sure one didn't get to see Luna Lovegood give a real smile randomly for no reason. _

Walking back to Gryffindor's dormitory felt like flying. He didn't notice that he was almost skipping down the corridors like a certain blonde always did.

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><p>She remembered how sorrowful she felt when she knew that Dumbledore's Army wouldn't be running for her fifth year at Hogwarts. She had spent her first three years as a lone Ravenclaw, and when finally she was given a chance to be with people she liked, that platform ceased to exist.<p>

Then, she shouldn't have expected much. After all, one main purpose of the D.A. was to rebel against Umbridge, and with the evil witch gone (Luna was still wondering if calling her a 'witch' was a suitable title, given she did not seem to possess much knowledge of magic spells) it didn't seem surprising that no necessary reason was left to reestablish the D.A. again. So she decided to let this affair go: after all, she respected Harry's decision and it wasn't like anything she said could change his mind anyway.

One day, on her way to attend Professor Slughorn's Potion class, she met him, the boy who constantly appeared in her thoughts as if some Crumple-Horned Snorkacks had messed with her head. She was delighted, nonetheless, for they didn't have much opportunities, or reasons, to speak to one another after school had started. And what he said blew her mind away.

Her consciousness, if there was much left at that moment, was yelling at her to read his words carefully. _'We'_ were going to The Three Broomsticks, and by that it meant that they wouldn't be the only one there. All sorts of romance fantasy in her tiny mind got quickly shifted aside, as she asked, politely and curiously, if his friends wanted her there. She was well-aware of her own reputation in the school, and hanging out with Loony Lovegood probably would not be on top of anyone's agenda.

Yet she was relieved he was inviting her, as a true friend, to meet with her real friends. She could talk to Neville about her latest discovery of an ancient plant in Croatia. She could debate with Hermione about…well, everything. And she was more than willing to share her thoughts on anything with Harry and Ginny, who would really listen to what she was saying without making fun of her with a dark heart. And Ron…she didn't really know what she could talk with Ron, but observing his often exaggerated expression was a delightful thing not to miss.

The grey-eyed attended the rest of her classes with a barely visible huge grin. She was indeed looking forward to spending quality time with her friends.

How she had longed to have fun with them the coming weekend.

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><p>He remembered the time when Professor Slughorn organized a random, out-of-the-blue Christmas Party that each participant was to bring a guest. Being Slughorn's favourite student, for reasons he was uncertain of, the Chosen One was obviously invited. He knew more than enough that it meant to bring someone of opposite sex, and that was his problem. The Boy Who Lived wasn't sure whom to invite , and his best friend seemed to be amused by his quest for a partner.<p>

'_Seriously, Harry. You're telling me,' Hermione's brown orbs stared like dagger to Harry's mind, 'that you can duel You-Know-Who and a bunch of Death Eaters without flinching, and yet you cannot ask a girl to go to Professor Slughorn's social party tonight?' And she certainly wasn't making him feel any better._

'_Com'on Hermione. You know better than anyone else about my social life,' he groaned as they walked together in the library, more like he was following the smart Gryffindor who was looking for another book that he had neither knowledge nor interest on. 'The Yule Ball was a mess for me, and, well, do you expect me to go ask Cho for this? She's still treating me as a substitute to Cedric Diggory!'_

'_What I'm saying is,' she grabbed a book from the shelf labelled 'History of Magic' and flipped through the pages as their conversation continued, 'it shouldn't be that hard for you to pick a girl you know and go together. I mean, half the girls in Hogwarts would surely say yes no matter what you tell them.' She put the book back and swiftly glanced at another, her hand advancing towards another of her target. 'There're plenty of girls in Gryffindor too. I'm sure it isn't that hard to ask one of them.'_

'_Or someone from another house...'_

_Hermione seemed startled at first, but once his words sank in she flashed him a Dumbledore-smirk and crossed her arms. _

'_Well, what are you waiting for?'_

_Yet her words did not reach him, as Harry was already running out of the library with his mind fully occupied._

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><p>She remembered she had encountered far less trouble in her fifth year than she had had in previous years. Her belongings still went missing from time to time, and fellow Ravenclaws and Slytherins would sneer at her, calling her 'Loony', 'Lunatic' or other funny names, but the number of such incidents was rare compared with her first three years in Hogwarts. She wondered if the past rumour of she and The Chosen One being together earned her some unintended respect from her classmates.<p>

Yet the situation seemed to get more complicated than she imagined to be when Harry asked her to go to Slughorn's Christmas Party with him.

'_How would you like to come to Slughorn's party with me tonight?'_

'_Slughorn's party? With you?'_

Thinking back, that was the stupidest responser she had ever given to a question. Perhaps she had been too stunned to believe that. People were spreading rumours about them, and there Harry was, asking her in his humble manner if she's willing to go with him together.

"_Yeah. We're supposed to bring guests, so I thought you might like…' feeling the awkward silence between the two of them, with her grey orbs showing hints of confusion and utter surprise, he had no choice but to continue, 'I mean, just as friends, you know.'_

_The words 'just as friends' felt like hanging in the air to her ears. Yet Luna did not care. Right now her eyes just glowed with anticipation to the event a few hours from now._

'_But if you don't want to…'_

'_Oh no, I'd love to go with you as friends! Nobody's ever asked me to a party before, as a friend!' She saw his lips curved upwards at her enthusiasm, as Luna was a girl who never really hid her emotions. She preferred to be real, without hiding her preference, especially in front of a friend. And excited she was, almost ready to jump into Harry's arms and spun around without a care of the rest of the world. It was like a date. No, it was a date. It was different from Harry asking her to join their other friends at Hogsmeade or inviting her over to the Gryffindor table to supper. This would be just the two of them. Just the two of them._

_With that in mind, she hurriedly jumped back to her dormitory and started preparing. It had to be a good night._

* * *

><p>He remembered feeling trapped in Slughorn's party, to be honest. He recalled being surrounded by people, being pulled around by Slughorn to introduce him to his guests, and being the center of attention, as he had always been, unwillingly, for the past years. However, he could clearly remember that all this time being tossed around by his Potion Master, his other hand held on tight to his date for the night.<p>

He wondered if such an act would be considered rude, for as much as he treasured the warmth and delicacy of her small palm that, despite her surprised expression and curious glances at his hand, he wasn't planning to let go at any moment. Hence for the whole night, Slughorn had to, a bit reluctantly, introduce both Harry and Luna to whomever he was speaking to, with a tiny frown on his round, rough face. Yet Harry did not care. In fact, he just hoped for Slughorn to leave him alone so he could have some time with Luna. Finally when the Potion Master decided he had had enough and talked to other people, the sixth-year Gryffindor grasped her hand firmly and led her to the other side of the room. Neville, being a waiter that night, served them some food and drinks and they shared a brief moment of peace with each other by their side.

It didn't feel normal at all. When he was alone with Cho, he felt he was a little happy, but at the same time he felt tense. Probably it was because looking at her reminded him of Cedric, and her constant moaning about the deceased Hufflepuff certainly did not help the matter. But with Luna…he felt at ease, just like how he felt when he was around people that he could entrust his life to: Sirius, Remus, Ron, Hermione, even Ginny and Neville, but it was probably more than that, he mentally noted. Certainly, he considered the sole daughter of Xeno Lovegood as one of his best friends, yet maintaining close friends was not what he intended to achieve.

The music of the party changed and they were aware that people around them were starting to dance slowly to the waltz being played. It shouldn't appear to be much of a surprise, since most people who came were couples, but the raven-haired teenager couldn't help but feel embarrassed they were trapped in the middle of the dance floor, and for better or worse, they had no chance of escaping. He knew Luna was feeling the same too, as her round eyes kept shifting around from his shoes to hers, her cheeks in crimson paint.

So gradually, and a bit awkwardly, a flushed Harry Potter raised his head and asked her the question he's been meaning to vocalize since the music changed.

'_Would you give me the honour to dance with you?'_

Seeing her shy nod, and noticing how they hands searched for each other to form the standard dance posture, he couldn't help but let a small grin appeared on his face.

And it grew wider as a smile also became apparent on her face.

* * *

><p>She remembered absolutely nothing about that night, regarding the part where Slughorn was flashing them around like some celebrities (well Harry was, but she wasn't – she noted to herself). She had some blurred images of faces she met there, and if her memory served her right they had engaged in some sort of conversation with the guests before they were thrown into another one. Usually Luna Lovegood would not let go of people's names and faces easily, but that night was different.<p>

And honestly speaking, she was justified in forgetting all of them, when Harry had been holding her hand all the time, afraid of losing her and squeezing her hand gently at times to ensure her that he was sharing the blonde's discomfort. She didn't really know what to think, as her round, grey eyes focused on his hand that locked firmly on hers. She could feel the warmth of his skin, now on hers, and had people not been talking to her she wouldn't even be aware of her own presence.

The blonde wasn't feeling uncomfortable for no reasons. She had long accepted that she was different from others, knowing full well people would not understand her, but she was fearful of the realization that this time she was accompanied by none other than _the_ Harry Potter. As much as she was willing to stand for her beliefs, Luna was afraid of disgracing Harry. With all sorts of problems going in the wizardry world and the constant threat from Lord Voldemort, embarrassing Harry's name in such a critical time was not the best idea she could come up with.

Yet he was firm and honest. Wherever he was taken, she would be there too. She noticed the fury in Professor Slughorn's thick eyebrows, and the curious glances of other people, but Harry simply gave her an affirming nod and said nothing, and she understood. Gradually she let her guard relax, starting to enjoy the small talk exchanged with other guests. And when finally Harry could not bear it anymore and take her to the other side of the room, she let out a tiny breath of relief.

And then somehow, the traditional slow music entered her ears, and she looked around to see couples moving closer to each other's body. Some even had their foreheads leaning on each other. And she found Harry and herself in the middle of the crowd.

Luna swore her face had never felt any hotter before.

_As if wanting to leave to avoid the abashed situation, she moved her feet slightly backwards, hoping to find a way out, for as much as she wanted to, and as much as her mind was screaming at her for not taking advantage of this situation, she just couldn't. Her consciousness reminded her how improbable, let along impossibly absurd, the idea of her and Harry being together was. Firstly, Harry was the saviour of the world, the attention of all and the centre of their army against Voldemort. He had better things to take care of instead of chasing after girls. The disbandment of the D.A. this year was a solid example of that. Secondly, she was…Loony Lovegood. She didn't mind being casted as a different kind, but she couldn't find any quality in herself that would attract the boy with dark messy hair. There was a reason as to why she had never had a date before, she argued with her mind logically. Thirdly, although she held much affection for the boy, she knew his feeling otherwise. He asked her to come as a friend, and nothing else. 'As friends, Luna', she reminded herself. Someone like Harry deserved someone better, and she would feel the grief later when the party's over, but now she just wanted to enjoy each moment spent with him._

_Too absorbed in her thought, the young Ravenclaw almost missed his voice as he said her name. She raised her head, meeting his calm gaze, wondering what kind of magic he had casted in his green eyes that captivated all of her senses. His mouth opened, and Luna could not hear a single sound from the background but his hushed, steady voice._

'_Would you give me the honour to dance with you?'_

_She wondered how long it took for her to respond, as when she shyly gave an affirming nod, his lips twisted and his muscles relaxed, his hands asking for hers and taking her closer to his body. She could feel his breath by her ear, as they moved accordingly to the waltz, each careful not to ruin this moment of perfection to them. Luna knew she was blushing gravely, when his hand on her waist gestured for her to move even closer. He leaned his forehead on hers, and to her surprise she found this affectionate act adorable, and responded with the same reaction. She closed her eyes and let herself depend on him for this moment, as the last thing she needed was for it to end._

_They continued dancing slowly, lingering on each step they took, and when the music finally died down, their eyes locked. She could see a thousand emotions in his eyes, and the content countenance he was wearing made her want to jump in joy, for undoubtedly she had just had the moment of her lifetime. And her heart thumped in excitement, fear, eagerness, but mostly agitation as she instantly knew what was to happen next. And she was right, but she had no intention on stopping it from happening. _

_So, instead of protesting, as part of her consciousness warned, she moved her face closer to his, just as he was doing the same thing, with her eyelids taking sufficient time to keep his physical form out of her eyesight. She knew this was the right thing to do. Then, with eyes now closed, their lips met._

_At that instant, all her worries and doubts about herself were gone. In fact, her mind contained nothing but Harry. The lovely expression he looked at her before closing his eyes. The way his moist lips pressed against hers. The jolt she felt in her body. The loss of strength in her limbs. The gentle touch his hands offered. The shy, affectionate smile she gave and received when they finally reluctantly parted._

_She breathed hard, and so did he. Both parties looked at each other, their cheeks fully flushed. Luna had never quite pictured what it meant to be a deep kiss. Being eccentric had meant, for her, that affectionate display like holding hands and kissing would be impossible to achieve. Yet he proved her wrong. Right now, Voldemort might as well show up and she would not even have known. Her eyes only saw Harry, and not a thing on earth could shatter her sight._

_In hopes of avoiding unnecessary glances from others who had started to notice something happening between them, Harry quickly grabbed her hand and led her out of the way, ignoring the amused looks on their professor and schoolmates (or the blissful beam Hermione sent them), leaving the venue and retreating to a spot in the castle where nobody could disturb them. And she didn't care where he would take her, as she only knew they would continue where they had left off. With him, nothing else mattered._

_An exchange of timid smiles on their faces confirmed that._

* * *

><p><em>End of Chapter 2.1<em>

* * *

><p>I wasn't expecting to expand that much on Luna's point of view for the last part, and I thought about adding Harry's part on that as well, but I figure I like Luna's part better and hence leave out Harry's thoughts on their first kiss (I actually like this part so much that I'm thinking of writing a one-shot spinoff based on this scene). This makes Luna's section relatively long, but I like the arrangement so far and I hope you like it too.<p>

Please kindly review and let me know what you think! Until next time.


	3. Chapter 2B: More than a friend

Greetings, fellows. You may notice later, while you're reading, that there're only three scenes in this chapter. Originally there were more, but I have deleted them as I'm very dissatisfied with those passages. I think I deleted about 2,000 words (1 and a half scenes), and thus in this chapter you're going to see three events on the second half of Harry's sixth year: Christmas, post-Malfoy incident and post-Dumbledore death. I had written half a scene on Valentine's Day and also a full scene on Gryffindor winning the Quidditch Cup, but then when I re-read them I simply didn't like any bit of them, and in hopes of not presenting you with totally crappy work, I decided to remove them and present you these three little scenes.

I thought about adding Luna's famous quidditch commentary scene here, but then since I don't have the sixth book with me I am worried I'd be missing many details about quidditch (or more precisely, how to describe a quidditch match), hence that scene never materialized.

While writing this, I find it funny that I wrote this at first to kill off my writer's block for my other fics, yet halfway through this story those writer's block still persists, and I'm starting to have some for this story too…anyway…

Please enjoy this chapter as well. As usual, I recommend to read in ½ page size.

* * *

><p><em><span>Chapter 2.2: You've got (more than) a friend in me<span>_

* * *

><p>He remembered the strange hollowness at Hogwarts as Christmas approached. After the confirmation of the return of You-Know-Who and the attack at the Ministry of Magic last year, there was an unspoken fear among students who seemed very reluctant to get away from Hogwarts. The world's most powerful wizard was their headmaster, and The Boy Who Lived was their schoolmate. It wouldn't be surprising for them to think Hogwarts was the safest place on earth.<p>

Yet many still returned home for Christmas holiday. Muggleborn students were eager to see their parents, who would be easy targets for the Death Eaters. Others were not too anxious to go, but some parents seemed to think they would be safer under their own protection, at least for the meantime. Hence only a few number of students were staying for Christmas holiday, making Hogwarts looked exceptionally empty at the time.

He, however, was trying to lighten up his mood with this holiday. Following Malfoy around had been a failure, and he needed something to distract himself. So why not enjoy this short break in the Burrow, where his friends would be entertaining him and he would feel secure?

Not to mention she would be there too.

_Ron stared at him like he had just seen a ghost. What Harry had just said didn't quite register in his mind, as of all crazy things he had expected him to say, this was not one._

'_You're saying, Harry,' he made a small gulp, 'You? And Luna?'_

_Harry was suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. He knew very well Ron's opinion on his sister's best friend, and he felt like he shouldn't hide this from him as he had the right to know. So he told him, and although he had reckoned this would happen, Ron's bewildered face made it hard for him to continue._

_Luckily, his female best friend was more understanding and gave him a hug as Ron was still trying to digest the information. The three of them were sitting in the Room of Requirement to ensure no one would be there to disturb them, and Harry was only hoping to reveal this news to a handful of people that he trusted. He would tell Neville and Ginny later, but his best friends were his top priority._

'_Finally! I'm so glad for you, Harry,' Hermione said as the embrace loosened, but she held his hands in silent support as she also noticed Ron's dubious glance at him. Harry carried a silly grin while scratching his head. 'What do you mean "finally", Hermione?' Ron was also pondering on the same question, as both boys turned to look at the only female in the room. She rolled her eyes, gave a sigh of 'boys' under her breath. _

'_It was so obvious, Harry,' she let it out as Harry, stunned, widened his eyes, 'I mean, consider the time you two spent together, or the way you constantly looked over to the Ravenclaw table during lunch and dinner, or you asking her to Slughorn's Party, and what happened at the end of that…' Hermione trailed off, as the mischievous grin on her face reminded him that she was there too, soundlessly cheering for him as he and Luna exchanged their moment of intimacy. He felt his cheeks burnt again, whining as Ron looked confused for a moment at their interaction. It took another minute for the information to sink in, and after Hermione's persuasion of nudging Harry to tell more about his love life did Ronald Weasley realize what he had missed._

'_YOU TWO SNOGGED AT SLUGHORN'S PARTY? OUCH!' Hermione smacked his head, rather hard, as Harry for once gave an approving smirk at that. 'Hermione, that's not necessary!' The brown-haired sneered and again urged Harry to go on with his story with sparkling eyes. And so he told them. He revealed his feelings about the weirdest girl the three of them had ever come to know. He discussed the emotional support Luna had offered him during hard times. He described, in rather vivid details how he was charmed by her playful but sincere smile. Ron felt chills in his spine as he continued, while Hermione just giggled girlishly from time to time. Finally, Harry finished his story and the three laid back on their respective chairs, entertained by the unwavering silence in the room. Finally Ron decided to break it._

'_So, you and Luna.' It was a weird statement to make, but his tone caught Harry and Hermione's attention: there was no sarcasm in those words, just calmness. _

'_Yes.' He replied, nodding in his direction. Ron took a minute to think and faced them with his eyebrows raised. _

'_Tongue?'_

_Hermione's cheeks turned red. 'Ron!'_

'_Only a bit, but yeah.'_

_The two of them seemed to enjoy seeing their friend getting devastated. 'Harry!'_

'_Just don't do it in front of us, okay? Nargles will attack my eyes.'_

_Hermione stared at the red-headed disbelievingly, and Harry laughed at the non-offensive joke. _

'_You know, remember that I have invited you two to come to the Burrow during Christmas holiday?' Noticing two nods, the youngest male Weasley turned to Harry with uncertainty in his tone but firmness in his eyes. 'I think dad and mum won't mind having one more visitor staying over. Besides, I think Ginny will be thrilled too.'_

_Hermione covered her mouth in awe, and Harry almost wanted to jump into him and hug him senseless._

* * *

><p>She remembered stepping into the Burrow with an overwhelmed sensation. Considering how close she and Ginny lived near each other, geographically speaking, it came to a surprise to some to know that it was her first time visiting the Weasleys' cottage. Correction: it was her first time visiting a friend's house.<p>

But her journey from Hogwarts to the Burrow was accompanied by joy and laughter. A few days after Slughorn's Party, Harry introduced her rather formally to Ron, Hermione, Neville and Ginny as _his_ girlfriend. Ron still looked a bit bemused, but Hermione welcomed her with open arms, giving her a warm hug in the Room of Requirement. Neville was taken aback initially but eventually congratulated them, and Ginny joined Hermione's hug as she embraced her best friend wholeheartedly. The Room of Requirement had become an unofficial place for them to gather and share their lives among a trusted circle of friends.

She was still seen as a frequent companion with the other five Gryffindors, but she and Harry did not make any public display of intimacy. Harry hoped to keep their relationship secret, not because he was fearful of being seen together with her but he was afraid of her becoming target of bullying again. Also, he did not hope for Luna and her father to be target of Death Eater's attack should they found out about this. Luna accepted the offer and decided too that it was for the best. She wouldn't mind other girls showing their stupidity by bashing her or hiding her stuff, but she did not want her father to be in harm by any means.

After a peaceful and enjoyable ride in the Hogwarts Express, again with the six of them sharing the same compartment, they parted with Neville, who went back to his parents, and finally arrived at the Burrow. Joined by Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and the twins, it was a holiday Luna could never forget.

She had more fun than ever during the short stay at the Burrow. Fred and George teased her continuously about her relationship Harry (although mostly with Harry being the victim), but they always compensated with some new inventions from their jokes store to amuse her. To the pleasant dismay of Harry, the twins kept calling her 'Loony' when addressing her, but Luna always caught the affectionate tone they used and hence she didn't really mind. In fact, she found it weird for them to address her by her real name anyway. It didn't suit Fred and George, she reckoned.

She also spent time with Hermione, trying to learn the Muggle way of knitting. She couldn't comprehend at first how a ball of threads could end up being a scarf or sweater, and Hermione was more than happy to share her thoughts and teach her how to knit one. To Luna's surprise they had gotten rather close, for Harry had always said how Hermione relied on books and logics while she relied mostly just on faith. Yet she always found herself comfortable around Hermione, probably due to her open support for her relationship with Harry. Hence when Harry, Ron, Ginny and the twins went to play some quidditch at the backyard, she would keep herself busy with needles, cloth and other Muggle inventions that Hermione showed her. Occasionally Mr. Weasley would enthusiastically join in the conversation, as both he and Luna were curious student to the world of Muggles, and he was clever enough to reassure Luna that he would not tell Harry what she had been doing, resulting in a blush on the blonde's cheeks. After all, she had wanted for this to be a surprise for her first Christmas gift to her first boyfriend. The dramatic display of joy in his eyes when she put her handmade scarf around his neck became an image forever framed in her mind.

And of course others would also give them some privacy as the couple snuggled close to each other on the couch. When they did that, they would ignore everyone's glances or comments and just engaged in their own world. They would talk about everything, from Muggle invention to the latest creatures Luna's father had featured in the Quibbler's articles. Others would be smart enough to give them some room. After all, Harry trusted them enough to reveal this news to them, and they were all honest wizards and witches who would keep their promises. And Luna was very grateful for that.

What more could she ask for when she's surrounded by friends, and family?

* * *

><p>He remembered the tension in the Gryffindor Common Room as the news was revealed to all. Harry Potter, the captain and star player of the courageous wizards and witches' quidditch team, had just been banned from participating in any quidditch game after he had casted a seemingly dark spell on Malfoy. The room was silent as Harry acquiesced to the news when his teammates asked for confirmation. None of them spoke a word, for as much as they cared for their captain, they knew well that casting a spell against another student was not permitted, let along one that sent Draco Malfoy into St. Mungos. The green-eyed teenager was a loss of words too. Ron and Ginny were nervous, shaking their glances from him to other members frequently as they also had no idea what to do afterwards. The next game against Slytherin was a critical one; they had to win by a huge margin to win the Quidditch Cup. While Slytherin also lost Malfoy due to this incident, they would be missing their pillar. What were they to do without their starting seeker of the past six years?<p>

Trying his best to console them while not in a particularly good mood himself, he managed to give instructions to the team as they sat back and listened attentively. After dismissing them, he walked to the lake, hoping to get some fresh air to keep his mind awake.

_It wasn't supposed to turn out like this. He was just supposed to follow Malfoy and see if he made contact with other Death Eaters or whatever that he had been doing. Finding a sobbing blond in Moaning Mrytle's bathroom certainly was not what he had expected, and the exchange of insults and spells afterwards…let's just say it was not his proudest moment. He had just let his intuition guide him through their duel, and he did not forget Hermione's constant warning about using spells from the book of the Half Blood Prince, whoever the bloody hell he was…_

_He found a spot and lay on the grass, holding his head with his hands, trying to figure out what to do next. Now that all professors and students would keep an eye on him even more so than ever, he wondered what he really could do, with spying on Malfoy being officially out of the question. As the wind blew by his side, he closed his eyes and hoped to achieve a state of mind-blankness. He wanted no more disturbances right now. He didn't even want to think of anything. He just wanted a quiet, peaceful time of his own to relax, however nonsensical that sounded like in a time like this._

'_Hello Harry.'_

_His eyelids flipped open and looked around, only to see no one in sight. He wondered if he had imagined that, for the owner of the voice should not be nearby._

'_I'm here, Harry.' And with that, he finally spotted her by his left, and knew why he couldn't see her just a second ago. Luna was holding his invisibility cloak with her arms in midair so that only he could see her. If someone was watching from the back, they would only see a confused Harry Potter staring into nothing in particular._

'_Hello Luna.' For once he did not know how to respond to her. Everything had happened too fast for him, from following Malfoy to stunning him to being suspended from quidditch in Dumbledore's office to maintaining the morale of his teammates in Gryffindor's Common Room, that he actually forgot it was the first time he had seen Luna after all these had happened. If he thought about it logically, all of these had just happened within an hour or so, but he felt like he hadn't seen her in ages. She looked into his eyes and gave a reassuring smile._

'_Relax, Harry. There's no need to get tense,' she said softly, her hand reaching for his cheek and pulled him closer, giving him a hug he needed as both were sitting closer to each other. He slowly closed his eyes and let Luna comfort him, as she knew the perfect way to calm him now was to not speak. He pulled her closer and let the invisibility cloak cover both of them eventually, hoping to disappear from the world completely. A tear was dropping from his eye as her warmth slowly got to him. 'Luna I…' he choked on his words, not knowing how to begin. Should he tell her the truth that she probably had heard from others already? Should he admit he almost killed Malfoy, using a dark spell in a spur of the moment? Should he let her know how scared he actually was, seeing the young Slytherin's lifeless body across the room?_

'_Shhhhh,' she hushed, patting his head slightly and caressing his hair, 'I know, Harry. I know.'_

_The wind was rushing through the trees nearby and leaves started falling off, landing on their cloak. The calm lake in front of him stayed still as he watched some birds spreading their wings in the sky, drifting along the wind. _

_And he did not say anymore, just leaning on her shoulder as his tears refused to come out of his eyes._

* * *

><p>She remembered the panic and gossips around Hogwarts when the rumour of Harry Potter almost killing his archrival Draco Malfoy was spread around the ancient building. The paintings gossiped among one another and students were eager to know the truth. She just stood still when she first heard the news in the Great Hall, using her Ravenclaw mind to analyze the possibility of such event. But then when Hermione tiptoed to her on a hollow corridor, telling her what, according to Harry himself, had happened, she only asked one question.<p>

'_Where's Harry now, Hermione?'_

_She spun off as soon as the Muggleborn said the word 'lake', taking the invisibility cloak on her hand as well, as the older girl obliged, having expected her to grasp it anyway. Ignoring the other living creatures on her way or the dead spirits floating by, she dashed out of the school building to enter the grassland with the cloak covering her body. _

_A lot of things were running in her mind, as she thought about the incident over and over again. As she jogged along the route to where she spotted the raven-haired was, her mind kept repeating what Hermione had said. That it was true. That Harry did nearly kill Malfoy with a dark spell. That he was ripped of his captaincy of Gryffindor's quidditch team. She didn't get why though. Harry must have his reason to use the spell he learned from the book of the Half Blood Prince, whoever that was, as he should be aware of the danger of using a spell he was not familiar with. She also knew that as much as he hated Draco (she preferred calling others by first name), getting rid of his existence wasn't what the green-eyed teenager wanted. When not even a Death Eater deserved death, why should a suspected one be?_

_Slowly, she walked toward him and notified him of her presence. It wasn't a pleasant sight, to say the least, as his features showed nothing but stress, misery, fear. She didn't like that look of his. It just didn't seem to suit him. Although he always wore that expression whenever the discussion topic turned to Voldemort or his followers, she constantly tried her best to wipe that off his face. So far she had quite a high success rate on that matter, and she was determined to restore the smile on his face now._

_Yet she found herself at a loss of words as their eyes locked. There was so much pain in them that she found it suffocating, as if she was drawn into despair herself. Harry had never looked so fragile before, and her heart ached at such a sight. So she tried again. She tried to make him relax, pulling him close to her and let him lie on her body. She quietly fondled his hair, offering the silent comfort she thought he needed. He complied, with Luna feeling her shoulder getting slightly wet gradually but paid no attention._

_They just sat there, silently offering each other company as they watched the sun gradually sank._

* * *

><p>He remembered the emptiness of feelings he had when he stood in front of the white tomb. Many others were around him but he couldn't feel them. His emerald eyes locked on the stone but he was not exactly paying attention to what was in front of him.<p>

Dumbledore had died. The most powerful wizard that even Voldemort feared was killed right in front of his eyes by Severus Snape. The person he probably trusted the most was dead because of someone he was told to trust. What irony he had in his life.

The funeral was soon held and he positioned himself at the back, with Ron, Hermione and Luna beside him. None of them exchanged a word, as what had happened on that night still shocked them. They couldn't really believe it, still. Draco Malfoy and Severus Snape had gone missing ever since, and the Order was having a hard time locating them. Fury filled his blood whenever the scene that night reappeared in front of his eyelids: that he was helpless in watching him die, that Malfoy was somehow assigned to kill the headmaster but seemed reluctant to do so, that Snape, whom he thought he could, or should, trust, waved his wand so effortlessly to send the old man down the tower. He clenched his fists and found his body shaking when a hand reached for his arm.

_Luna was holding his hand while looking at him, with a pained expression lingering on her face. They didn't talk after Dumbledore had died that night. When all had arrived at the scene, some sobbed, some just stood still, shocked, and she just held him tight, offering to support him without a word when he stared furiously at the dead headmaster's body._

_He knew what he had to do next, now that the pillar of Hogwarts was gone. He could no longer just stay here and wait for Voldemort to strike. He had to take the initiative. He had to do something, and that required him spending the following year out of Hogwarts on an adventure to find the remaining horcruxes. Trying not to get anyone's attention as the funeral proceeded, he took Luna's hand and together they walked to a safe distance from the funeral. Ron and Hermione raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as they watched their best friend walk away._

'_Luna, listen,' Harry murmured as some aurors nearby acknowledged their presence, 'I have to go kill Voldemort after this.'_

'_Of course you have to,' she interjected, looking at him plainly, 'it's your destiny to do so, whether you like it or not.' _

'_Yes, but that's not what I meant.' Sighing, he went on, 'look, I cannot do that if I stay in Hogwarts for another year. I have to go look for the horcruxes. I have to leave.'_

'_I'll go wit–'_

'_No, Luna,' he interrupted as she stopped, a knowing expression soon replacing the sad countenance. 'We cannot be together like this. This is too dangerous for you and it's something I have to do by myself.'_

_He didn't know if he should be glad that she didn't say anything anymore, instead she just stared at him, but he could not decipher her look. She was neither sad nor mad, and she certainly did not look dreamy as she usually did. Her grey orbs just stared at him, and he was suddenly becoming uncomfortable about this._

'_I'm sorry Luna,' he confessed, 'and I really do not want this to happen, but,' he then gathered the will to embrace her, 'I really can't let them win, Luna. I have no choice but to do this.' _

_She didn't struggle nor did she return the hug. Instead she just leaned her body forward and rested her head on his shoulder. 'You know that I'll hate you for this.'_

'_Yes.'_

'_And that I do not entertain this idea an awful lot.'_

_Yes.'_

'_And that I won't forgive you if you do not come back victorious.' _

'_Yes.'_

_The embrace broke as she looked determined this time. They looked at each other with different determination but same emotion as she then whispered in a voice that the aurors guarding nearby couldn't hear._

'_Kiss me, Harry.'_

'_Wha–' before he could give a clear response, she stepped forward and placed her lips on his for two still seconds. He was not just startled by her request. In fact, when he thought about it more thoroughly it was the first time since they had started dating that she had made a demand from him. And it was a light kiss that made him suddenly miss the sensation of her touch so dearly when her lips moved away from his. She looked even more disappointed after this shared moment as she flashed him a sad smile. 'I guess this is goodbye, then.'_

_He found himself lost in words. He wasn't the talkative type to begin with, and now he watched with mild horror as her feet carried her away from him. The look of her back was framed to his mind, as he knew that no matter how much he wanted to reach out for her, to hold her, to kiss her…they all wouldn't happen unless he completed his mission. That was his destiny, whether he liked it or not._

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><p>She remembered the numb feeling surrounding her body and mind as she paid her last respect to her headmaster. Having witnessed death at a young age, she wasn't totally sad or disappointed that Albus Dumbledore was gone, just like that. No, she had seen her own mother dying right in front of her eyes. Comparatively speaking, Dumbledore's death was expected. He had been weak, Luna knew, and when she learnt later that he and Harry went on the secret mission to hunt down a possible horcrux, she just needed to put one and one together to get the logical outcome.<p>

It would be wrong, however, to say that she had no sympathy. She was of course sad that the spiritual leader of their just side against Voldemort was killed, but Luna Lovegood had always been an optimistic person. The Dark Lord would still fall, with or without Dumbledore, and the death of the most powerful wizard only meant that they had to be better prepared for a war against the dark side.

_She could see Ron holding Hermione, giving her the comfort the fragile Muggleborn needed at this moment. Both looked pained, especially Hermione. Luna recalled how she and Hermione had gone to Snape's office for help, without realizing, with hindsight speaking, that the Defence Against Dark Arts teacher was about to brutally murder their hope, their pillar. Hermione certainly did not take it well, blaming herself for not stopping him sooner, even though Luna had tried to reassure her that they wouldn't have known in advance. Ron was also very quiet. He just kept stroking his best friend's shoulder with a blank stare locating Dumbledore's tomb. The trademark Weasley grin was lost._

_Yet, the person sitting next to her was whom she was worried about the most. Harry was unusually calm in a state like this, but Luna knew he was having a mental battle with himself. Harry was the kind of person who put the blame of the world's most unfortunate event on himself, and all she could do was just to hold his hand, nonverbally assuring him that she was here for him. He looked passive, but nonetheless she recognized times when words failed and actions should take place instead. She gently squeezed his hand, offering the comfort she could give, and he nodded, acknowledging her help which made her smile a bit._

_When he led her away from the crowd and said that they had to talk, she already knew what would be coming from his mouth. She just knew. After being acquainted with Harry for so long, she knew well that he would sacrifice his own happiness to carry the world on his shoulders. He would do anything to avenge Dumbledore's and his parents' death. He would not let anything stand in between his goal and himself. _

_And she admired him for that. Really. She seldom came across people who could just take all the pressure 'for the greater good', even though she disagreed with such notion, and fully understood that whatever she said would not change his mind. So she did not argue with him when he firmly rejected her proposal of tagging him along his journey. Instead, she told him her true feelings._

_She hated him for leaving her behind. She did not like the idea of him slaying Death Eaters and discovering horcruxes while she stayed behind to attend classes. She would certainly not forgive him if he was killed during his quest or failed to accomplish his goal. She poured all her hatred about this in her own distinct, dreamy voice._

_And then she requested a kiss._

_Surely that had taken him aback. A serious conversation ending with a kiss when he was trying to break up with her would surely make Fred and George fall off their chairs laughing hysterically. Not surprisingly, Harry was in shock as her moist lips met his dry ones. She could see questions in his face, but she didn't answer any one of them as she knew that she had to be determined on this, for after Dumbledore's tragic departure Harry Potter would officially become the pillar of everyone in the world of wizards and witches. All she wanted was just to treasure one last moment of intimacy between the two of them, letting the feeling she got after Slughorn's party reignited in both members' consciousness. _

'_I guess this is goodbye, then.' She almost phrased it in a singing tone, dropping her eyelids as she turned and swore not to look back. She had made a choice and so had he, even though both were not happy with the outcome. Nevertheless, over the years Luna had learnt to know what she ought to do, on Dumbledore's words, for the greater good. _

_She could feel the moisture in her eyes beginning to liquefy, and fought to keep herself moving forward. The Hogwarts Express would be ready to take them home but she would very much prefer spending this trip alone in a single compartment. Not that she hadn't done so before, anyway. All she needed now was some quietness to keep herself sane._

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><p><em>End of Chapter 2.2<em>

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><p>I hope you like this chapter as well. When I was writing this I also started writing a one-shot about Luna being captivated in Malfoy Manor. As that fic was a lot darker than this I find it challenging to change writing styles from that fic to this. I still have to edit that a bit, but hopefully I can publish that work around Thanksgiving.<p>

Moving on to next chapter…basically DH stuff. It probably will be split into two parts again, as I already have various scenes in mind. The Luna-in-Malfoy-Manor scene in this fic, however, won't be as dark as my one-shot indicates. I'm too fond of this girl to torture her in two stories of mine.

I'm approaching the end of my semester so I can't say for sure when I will update again…my hope is within three weeks (so far this story is updated once a fortnight), if I am done with my papers and projects on time, that is.

Please kindly review and let me know what you like/dislike/hate about this fic! Until next time!


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